The participants will discuss the follow-up to the recommendations contained in ECRI’s 2012 monitoring report on Sweden. The round table will be divided into four sessions:

The report’s main findings

The legislative and institutional framework for combating racism and racial discrimination

Fighting hate speech and intolerance

Discrimination in employment, housing and health care

The event will commence with welcoming remarks by Eva Smith, Chair of ECRI, and Agneta Broberg, Equality Ombudsman. Opening speeches will be given by Erik Ullenhag, Minister for Integration and Thomas Hammarberg, former Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights. ECRI’s report on Sweden will be presented by François Sant’Angelo, ECRI member in respect of Belgium, and Vitaliano Esposito, ECRI member in respect of Italy.

In addition to government officials, the round table will bring together representatives of NGOs and of minority groups. This event aims at contributing positively to the national debate on combating racial discrimination and intolerance in Sweden, as well as raising awareness among the general public about these issues.

In its fourth report on Sweden of June 2012, ECRI expressed its concern about some issues, such as the persistence of antisemitism and Islamophobia, agitation against national or ethnic groups in the press, prejudice against Roma, and discrimination in access to housing, employment and health care.

ECRI also selected three of its recommendations, concerning residential segregation, free medical care for some categories of immigrants without a residence permit and family reunification, for re-examination before the end of next year as part of a process of interim follow-up.

The round table is open to the press. It will start at 9 am and end at 5 pm on Wednesday 6 November 2013.

ECRI is a human rights body of the Council of Europe, composed of independent experts, which monitors problems of racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, intolerance and discrimination on grounds such as “race”, national/ethnic origin, colour, citizenship, religion and language (racial discrimination); it prepares reports and issues recommendations to member States.